Manchester City's Fernandinho targets place in Brazil’s World Cup squad

The 28-year-old is hoping to press his claims for a place in the Seleção when he faces Chelsea in Monday's Premier League showdown.

Fernandinho expects Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari to be watching the match as Chelsea also have four Brazilians in their squad in David Luiz, Willian, Oscar and Ramires.

Fernandinho, who only has five international caps to his name, said: "Getting to the World Cup is a big dream for me. It's a big game. You could say it's like a derby because everyone is talking about it. I am sure the Brazilian manager will be watching because there are a lot of players he needs to see. If I have a good performance, there is no doubt it will open the door for me. That's what I am hoping."

A win for City will see them reclaim top spot in the table and open up a six-point advantage over Chelsea.

"If we could beat them it would be a very important result - but both teams will still have a lot of difficult games left. The Premier League is full of surprise results - but I hope we won't have any more," added the midfielder.